Yu Darvish and Rangers seem unconcerned by ace's heavy pitch counts, but should they be?

This Story is About...

Share This Story On...

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Yu Darvish is greeted in the dugout after the end of the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, May 5, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

The first time around, it ended with elbow inflammation that shortened his season by six weeks and eventually became a torn ligament in his elbow. This time: Who knows? And the hard truth may be: The Rangers aren't as concerned with his future as their present. Darvish is a free agent at the end of the season; so far, the Rangers haven't taken an aggressive approach toward an extension.

Darvish on Friday threw 116 pitches in seven innings of the club's 3-1, 13-inning win over Seattle. It was his third consecutive start of 110 or more pitches, the first time since a seven-game stretch in early 2014 when he went 6-1 with a 1.83 ERA. During the stretch, he averaged 7 2/3 innings per outing while throwing an average of 113 pitches per start.

Over the last three games, he's averaged seven innings and 118 pitches while allowing five earned runs in three consecutive Rangers wins.

"I think he realizes how improved [the elbow] is two years after surgery," pitching coach Doug Brocail said. "We have constant communication, and I don't think he's ever lied to me about how he feels. He's very honest. He's not going to lead himself into a bad place. He is in a very good place right now."

The latest sign: On Friday, Darvish returned to his slider with a vengeance. Actually, he turned to it like never before. According to MLB.com's Statcast system, Darvish threw 53 sliders. It is the highest number of sliders he has ever thrown and tied with Clayton Kershaw for the fourth most thrown in any game this season.

A disclaimer: The system can occasionally confuse sliders for other breaking pitches, so the numbers aren't always 100 percent accurate. In fact, Darvish said the home run he allowed to Robinson Cano was on a power curveball rather than the slider. He also got a strikeout and two line outs.

Instant Replay: Offense still AWOL; Rangers set AL mark for consecutive games with 10 or more Ks in 8-2 loss

The point, though, is this: Darvish's best out pitch is the slider, and it appears he once again has enormous confidence in it. The issue is what kind of stress that will cause on his elbow.

"He throws so many sliders throughout the week that I think his arm is built up for it," Brocail said. "He knows how he wants to pitch. He's prepared. He throws it so well from the same release point."

Through an interpreter, Darvish said: "It was a struggle to throw strikes with my fastball, so I had to go to the slider. The slider was my best pitch. I was not going to regret if they hit that."

That said, the Rangers may try to ease off before his next start, scheduled for Wednesday against San Diego. Brocail said the Rangers might back off on his between-starts bullpen work or might not have him throw one at all.

Darvish had five days of rest after each of his first two 110-plus pitch outings, but the Rangers don't have the same luxury this time around. There isn't an extra pitcher to drop into the rotation, and there isn't an off day.

But, Brocail said, the introduction of the power curve could also help, even though he didn't get good results with the pitch to Cano.

"It was good to see the curveball; he can add that in," Brocail said. "It's easier on his arm and he won't have to throw as many sliders. It's a good front-to-back pitch as opposed to side to side."

What became evident Friday, though, is that if he needs to, Darvish is no longer concerned about throwing a ton of sliders.